Zelensky appealed to Macron not to allow Russian athletes to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Ukrainian president wants the Russians to be in “total isolation” from all competitions.
kyiv, Jan 24, 2023 (Lusa) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today exulted his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for not allowing Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics due to the military invasion that has been going on for 11 months. .
I particularly insisted that Russian athletes not participate in the Paris Olympics,” the official stressed, on the Telegram social network, after a telephone conversation with Macron.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine from its territory and Belarus, three days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, thus violating the Olympic Truce, which begins a week before the event and ends another week after.
The invasion led the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to sanction the two countries responsible for the aggression, withdrawing them and preventing them from organizing international events: the symbols of Russia and Belarus were also banned.
These sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments must remain firm,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a New Year message.
At the time, the German director assumed once again the “total commitment of the IOC and the entire Olympic Movement for solidarity with Ukrainefurther expressing the wish that the invaded nation can field a “strong team” at Paris 2024, as well as at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Back in December, Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Russian athletes be placed in “total isolation” of all international competitions.
In the same letter, he rebelled against the United States Olympic and Paralympic committees, which were favorable to the participation of Russians and Belarusians in these competitions, as long as they do not wear the colors of their countries.
Source: Observadora
